Cross The Line
by AbyssalDreamer18
Summary: Business was business. That was all. Seto Kaiba, owner of Kaiba Corp, knew that far too well. But, perhaps a simple deal could lead to more than he bargained for. Seto x OC
1. Chapter 1

**_NOTE:_ I don't own YGO, just my OCs and all**

 **Hi, there! It's finally here! It's the rewrite to TSF! If you're new to the story and my works, then welcome! If you were a fan of the old one, then some things might be a bit different than you remember it. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

It was an imperfection. That, above all else, would not be tolerated. Imperfections meant mediocre. He was _far_ beyond mediocre. Perfection was not only expected of him, but required. This was something that he himself could easily supply, but was perhaps unknown to those working below him. _They_ were fit to be the mediocre ones.

A dull silence filled the office. Sunlight streamed through the large glass panels surrounding the room on three sides, yet the air still held a lifeless atmosphere to it. Perhaps because of the sheer isolation of the room or perhaps it was emitting from the CEO himself. His eyes veered away from the closed doorway to briefly look at the city below. From the view of the towering skyscraper, things were miniscule. Cars moved along at casual speeds through the bustle of the small, yet homely, town.

Towering above the plain city stood the skyscraper known for being far from average. Upon the front of the building read the 'KC' logo. No matter who passed by the symbol, they were aware of its importance. Sitting from the top floor of his monstrous tower, he appeared as a king looking down on his subjects. Nobody would have disagreed with that manner either, for that was the true nature of Seto Kaiba.

The brunet's gaze shifted back to his computer screen. Jumbles of notifications, coding files, and un-read emails plastered the monitor. Despite his desire to return to the massive amount of work in front of him, there was still a crucial error to be solved first.

As he pondered this, the pager from his secretary rang. He reached for the response button. "What is it?" he asked.

"Mr. Kaiba," the receiver began. "The representative from the Hagane Corporation is here."

"Send him up."

"Yes, sir."

The receiver clicked as the blinking light dulled. The CEO positioned himself back at his desk waiting for his guest to arrive. Despite his headquarters being one of the largest in the city, he expected that his guest wouldn't be so slow. It was wasted time.

Eventually, there was a knock at the door and the brunet permitted him to enter. A balding, lanky man dressed in a blue suit entered. "Good morning, Mr. Kaiba." He greeted.

No response was given.

"Yes, well, I apologize for our President's absence this morning. He was unable to make it, but I'm the representative who was sent in his place. You see, our President, he's a very busy man—"

"As am I," the brunet cut him off.

"And for that, we thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet with us." The man looked up to meet the CEO's stare. His blue sapphire eyes were so piercing that they could appear to cut through steel. His gaze alone would be likely enough to send people running for cover. "Yes... Well…" He cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, what is the reasoning for this meeting?"

"Our companies are in a contract, are they not?"

"Yes, sir, they are."

"Within that agreement, Kaiba Corp placed reasonable guidelines and deadlines for the Hagane Corporation to follow. Your company isn't holding up their end of the bargain. In other words, your deadbeat corporation is weighing mine down."

"We understand that we are in a contracted deadline, Mr. Kaiba, but please understand that this is a very large project to uphold."

"Which is precisely why it shouldn't be left in your care any longer."

"Sir?"

"Our contract is broken and the Kaiba Corporation will cease to fund the Hagane—"

"Mr. Kaiba, this is unreasonable! Please understand that the Kaiba Land Project is very large and needs time!"

The brunet's icy stare narrowed, which seemed to cut deeper into the man's soul. "I gave understandable guidelines and deadlines for your company to follow, but perhaps they weren't meant for morons like you."

"Mr. Kaiba-!"

"Unless you want to see your company topple to the ground, I suggest you get out of my sight."

There was nothing left to be said. Nothing could sway the harsh CEO's thoughts or opinions. The best option was merely to give in. The representative gave a curt bow and saw himself out of the office. The brunet growled as he exited. His plans were always ruined by the incompetence of other people.

Soon enough, Kaiba returned to his work. Before going about business as usual, his next step was to find a willing—and competent—replacement company, and fast. The brunet sighed at the amount of intense research and time it would take out of his schedule. It was a task that needed to be done, but still irked him nonetheless.

The next several hours passed as the CEO scanned through his database. Every minute he seemed to grow more frustrated knowing that he wouldn't be in that situation if his workers were actually up to standard. Eventually, while in the midst of his pilfering, he came across a local article: _"Design Corporation Completes Renovation of District Diet Building"_. Unsure of any promise it held, he decided to investigate the matter further.

The young CEO thought for a moment then reached over to page his secretary. "Yes, Mr. Kaiba?" the receiver spoke.

"Get me the president of the Akasei Design Corporation on the phone."

"Of course, sir."

 **O.O.O**

The orange horizon filled the room with what little light left that the day provided. Two figures sat still in the room with their shadows creeping upon the walls, casting what looked like long, thin trees. One figure sat at the primary desk at the center of the room with the window directly behind him. The person opposite of him, appearing younger, squinted from the orange horizon before him. The man waited patiently for a response from the elder, but, seeing how there was no invitation to say more, he merely sighed.

"You haven't told me your opinion yet," he spoke.

"What's to say?" the elder one inquired.

"Are you going to accept his offer?"

The elder man grinned. "I see no reason not to."

"Even with the strict deadlines? Not even mentioning the high stakes, it's a lot of stress to put our workers through."

"My son, if there's anything I've learned in business; it's that nothing is impossible with the right partner."

"Wouldn't Kaiba Corp seem too intimidating? I don't object to the idea, I just worry it may seem too strenuous, especially being with the CEO who he is."

"Yes, but despite that, I believe the deal will prove much opportunity. Being how highly reputable Kaiba Corp is, I say it outweighs any negativity within the negotiation."

The younger man nodded to himself. "I understand. In the end, it's your decision, Father."

"Do you have any further objections to the deal?"

"No."

"Great, I'll have someone set up a meeting with them tomorrow. It's getting late, you best go home."

"Very well, goodnight."

With that said, the younger of the two stood up to leave. Although not nearly as old as the man before him, he was still nearly middle age. He headed towards the door to make his way out, but not before glancing back to nod one more goodbye to the elder man. He exited the office where he was met with the usual brightness of the florescent bulbs lining the hallway. He turned to see a young girl leaning against the wall fiddling with the dark strands of her hair. She appeared to be in her late teens.

"I'm done," he started.

She looked out as she straightened out her posture. "Oh, I didn't hear you come out." She said.

The man nodded before motioning for the girl to follow as he made his way down the hall.

"So, what'd he say?" she asked once they entered the elevator.

"He's planning on accepting the deal with Kaiba Corp tomorrow morning."

"That's great! It sounds like a really good opportunity."

"Yes." The elevator doors soon slid open. "I'll meet you in the lobby downstairs; I need to grab some papers from my office first."

"Okay, Dad." She replied as she punched the button for the ground floor. She watched her father start down the hall before the doors closed once more.

* * *

 **And now the first chapter/prologue is done! Hope you guys enjoyed it! Also, I'd like to apologize for the long wait for this, even though I promised it'd be out earlier. Some errors and my job came up. Once again, I apologize. Peace out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, hello there! Welcome to the second chapter! Starting off, I definitely didn't expect the wait for this chapter to be SO LONG. I know I explained there wasn't an update schedule, but it was somewhat ridiculous. So, I apologize. Anyway, this one is another introduction chapter like the previous one, so enjoy!**

* * *

Hordes of information danced across the pages with each word holding a newer meaning to the narrative than the last. Each page allowed for a further chance of understanding. Every piece of the narrative lead to a new world ahead, yet one that wasn't much far off than the current one. However, the current world fell to silence with nothing but a focus leaning towards the new one that lay waiting on the pages. Another page meant a new adventure. But, like the current world, the new one still held imperfections. Still, another page was turned.

"Lydia!" a voice shouted.

The dark-haired girl looked up and focused herself back with her surroundings. She looked around her room to see no one else present. _Did I imagine that?,_ she questioned.

"Lydia!" it called again.

 _Nope._ The girl hurriedly marked her page, realizing it would have to continue another time. She made her way through her home only to wind up in the kitchen where her mother was standing against the counter with a coffee cup.

"Yeah?" she looked to her mother.

"Can you find my car keys for me?" Her mother, Lisa, grinned.

"Why can't you?"

"I'm busy," Lisa smiled while giving a slight raise to the coffee cup.

Lydia gave an amused sigh knowing there was no point arguing the matter further. "Okay,"

Eventually, after rummaging through both the kitchen and living room, Lydia obtained the keys and tossed them to the blonde woman.

"Thank you," Lisa replied. "So, what were you doing in your room?"

"Just reading. I found an interesting story about a man with a split personality, so I picked it up."

"That does sound interesting. I've seen a few people with conditions like that in the psyche ward at the hospital."

"Yeah, but maybe not as severe."

"I don't know, you see some pretty crazy things in the medical field." Her eyes peered over to the clock on the wall, and then proceeded to polish off the rest of her coffee. "Speaking of which, I need to head out," Her daughter nodded as she planted a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be back later on tonight, love you."

"Love you too," With that said, the older woman fled from the home. Lydia soon turned on her heels eager to continue her book.

Unfortunately, not much more than a half hour later, her conscience was disturbed. A faint creaking followed by a pattern of footsteps came from the distance. Lydia slowly marked the page in her novel, unsure if the noises could've just been her imagination. However, the movement outside her room still persisted.

Hesitantly stepping towards her door, she clutched her cell phone in her hand while pressing her ear to the door. The noises persisted the same. She slowly pulled the frame open and peered around, concluding that the noise was coming from their home office.

"Dad?" she questioned, bracing to shut the door if necessary.

"What's up?" a familiar voice responded. Lydia released a sigh of relief and made her way down the hallway.

"What are you doing home? I thought you left an hour ago."

She entered the office to find her father hunched over his desk collecting a stack of files. Before he could respond to her, his phone pinged loudly to grab his attention

"Kosei," he answered. There was a pause as he listened to the voice over the receiver. "Yes, I'm getting them now. I'll be right there, bye." He ended the call and glanced back to his daughter. "I forgot some files for the meeting this afternoon."

"You didn't mention anything about a meeting earlier. What's it about?"

"The company wants to meet with some Kaiba Corp executives to discuss contract terms."

"Wow, that's pretty serious."

"Yep."

Kosei neatly placed the needed files in his briefcase before turning to make his way out of his office. He soon began making his way back towards the door before stopping to ponder something. He turned back to Lydia to find her watching him make his way out.

"Do you want to come to the office with me?" he asked. "It may be a good opportunity for you to see more of the company during contract deals."

The dark-haired girl beamed. "Sure! I'd love to!"

"Then come on, we don't want to be late."

The duo hurriedly made their way out the door to their vehicle. Driving through the suburban area slowly transitioned into the downtown buzz. Tall skyscrapers and apartment buildings lined the roads while the residents of the city were either positioned well in their cars or taking their time in walking. Even with the amount of congestion around the city, there still seemed to be something lively and refreshing about the community of Domino.

Their commute soon came to a close once they approached the Akasei Design office. As the duo entered the building, they were met with a large hustling of employees passing files and reports between one another. Despite just completing a crucial project just weeks ago, the office hadn't nearly been in the flurry that it was currently.

Making their way through the labyrinth of rushing workers, the duo reached the elevator. "I'll meet you outside the conference hall," Kosei began once the elevator was in motion. "I need to deliver some of these files to your grandfather."

Lydia nodded as she got off at the designated floor and watched the elevator doors close behind her. Making her way down the hall towards the conference hall, things appeared much more relaxed than the floors below. Other than the occasional worker or secretary dropping off or retrieving papers, not many passed by. The quiet atmosphere allowed for her mind to drift as she waited for her father to return.

"Hey, Cuz,"

Lydia turned to meet the eyes of a young man not much older than herself. "Oh, hi, Nao," she greeted.

"I didn't expect you to be here today. What, did your father bring you in again?"

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Actually, yes. What are _you_ doing here then?"

" _My_ father said it seemed like a crucial opportunity for me to attend as a future heir."

Lydia smiled to the young man. "Funny, mine said the same thing. After all, we're both heirs."

He frowned. "True, but you don't have the business experience to even comprehend what's said in meetings."

"And you do?"

Lydia noticed a familiar smirk return to the young male's features. "Of course, I am the older one, after all."

"You're trying to provoke me,"

"Provoke?" He grinned. "Into what?"

"You always liked starting arguments."

"That's also true, but today isn't a good day for me."

Lydia couldn't help but to keep staring at his grin. She supposed the best way to describe it was condescending. Although, the more she thought about it, she could never pinpoint what went on in his head.

"Good afternoon, Naoto, Lydia,"

The two cousins looked up to find their grandfather standing beside Kosei. The elder man smiled to the two waiting for a response.

"Hello, Grandfather, Uncle," Naoto began as he glanced between the two.

"How are you?" Lydia questioned.

"Quite well, thank you." the elder CEO spoke. "I understand that you two were planning on attending the meeting today. But, as I was just explaining to Kosei, I'm afraid that's not possible."

"What?"

"Kaiba Corp prefers for this to be between executives only."

The two teens nodded in silent disappointment.

"Well, I have to go finish some paperwork anyway." Naoto announced. He said his farewells to his family members before starting off down the hall.

Board members began making their way into the conference hall once the elder man took a seat at the table.

"I'm sorry, Lydia," Kosei began. "I didn't realize there were such strict guidelines."

"That's alright," she smiled. "I'll just wait in your office until you're done."

Kosei nodded before the duo parted ways. Lydia paced herself as she headed towards the elevators realizing she was certainly not in a hurry to get there. _I Wonder what I'll do now,_ she thought. _I really wish I'd brought that book with me._ She pressed the button for the elevator waiting for the doors to slide open. _Maybe I could call Haruna?_

The elevator soon dinged and opened its doors. Lydia swung around to enter its presence before she collided with another figure before her.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I wasn't looking whe—"

She froze. There almost seemed to be something familiar about the person. Before she could place her finger on it, the opposing figure was gone. _Wait! Was that..?_ She turned back to face the person, but they made no inclination that the event had even occurred. Rather, his sapphire gaze was merely fixed on the sole point ahead of him.

* * *

 **It's finally done! For whatever reason, this chapter was difficult to do. I went through about three drafts before settling. Due to the difficulty, some of the dialogue may seem off, another reason could be me still trying to swing back into writing. But, hopefully, it still works. Anyways, thanks for sticking with me and I'll see you next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AHHHH..! Well, hello, I've returned from a millennium away from here (10 months, same thing)! I'm so sorry for the wait on this. I _could_ always insert my long list of excuses on why I had that hiatus, but I figure I'll save you all the trouble of going through that. Also, in my recent activity, I managed to edit both Chapter 1 and 2 for your reading pleasure. So, at least they're not that bad anymore (especially Chapter 2, cause yikes)! So, if you need a little refresher, then go ahead and skim through 'em! ANYWAY, read on, you crazy kids!**

* * *

"I'm leaving now!" Lydia called as she swung her head into the kitchen.

"Okay, Sweetie," Her mother replied.

"Have fun," Kosei encouraged.

She nodded before grabbing her bag and heading out the door. As the door swung open, she was met with a fresh burst of morning air. The expected heat of the day wasn't yet on full display, but residents anxiously anticipated the return of autumn air.

Downtown grew closer with every step, making the skyscrapers lining the city appear taller and more defined in texture. As the scenery expanded, Lydia couldn't help but break into a run. Her chest pounded not only from the increase in activity, but also from the pure excitement of the chance to reach her destination quicker. Crowds of citizens seemed to emerge out of thin air, making prompt timing of their usual schedules. Despite the added crowds, she pushed through them like any other weekday.

Just ahead at the base of the sidewalk was their meeting point; a long post with an image of a bus perched at the top. Looking around, nobody stood out from the masses matching a specific description. She stopped running and scanned the area further. The more she looked, the more apparent it was that the person wasn't there. _Where is she?,_ she wondered as she continued to scan the area.

Checking her phone, she determined that she was there on time. Yet, nobody was there waiting. Pushing her way past the masses, Lydia perched herself just under the sign; still no one. Looking up from her phone once more, she noticed a transit bus coming around the corner. Soon, it made its way to a stop just beyond the sign. Putting on a hopeful smile, she watched as the transit doors opened. Another group of people joined the crowds in their usual commute to an unknown destination.

The dark-haired girl began to tap her foot as she peered at the group getting off. _Is she there?_ As the next group walked up to board the transit, the line blocked her field of vision. Trying her best to see over them, she caught a familiar face. The person glanced around the area while brushing some midnight strands of hair out of her face.

"Haruna!" Lydia called out.

The girl turned towards the post to inspect who was trying to get her attention. Realizing who had called her, her expression brightened. "Hi, Lydia!"

The two girls ran to each other before locking in a tight embrace. "How are you?" Lydia beamed. "I haven't seen you since June! How was your trip?"

"It was _so_ nice!" Haruna replied excitedly. "Kyoto's such a beautiful place! I have pictures I can show you later. But, what about you? What have you been doing?"

The two friends informed one another of their summer's activities as they walked down the streets. The commotion of people around them deafened compared to the conversation they held. As they walked, the initial excitement still filled their voices with each new recollection.

"So, I heard your family has a new deal with Kaiba Corp now, right?" Haruna questioned.

"Yeah, I don't know any details though."

"You'll have to let me know when they announce it, I'm sure it'll be impressive!"

Lydia chuckled. "I don't think I'd be allowed to."

Their conversation continued as they trekked up a small hill. Although a small range, the view was still slightly impressive showing off the sight of Domino High School just ahead. Atop the multi-floored building was a clock plastered against the wall signaling that there was still plenty of time to make it on time. Hordes of other students noticed the same sight as they made their way within the building's gates.

"Can you believe it?" Haruna spoke.

"Believe what?"

"It's our last semester of senior year; it's hard to believe really."

"I know, but there's still six months to go."

Haruna nodded. "That's true."

"So, don't get sentimental just yet!"

The duo laughed as they continued on with their commute. Making their way into the school courtyard, they were greeted with the atmosphere of anxious students. Echoing throughout the area was the murmur of voices seemingly joined into one. Separate groups of students occupied claimed areas to house their groups to converse with one another. If students weren't conversing, they'd simply make their way indoors to prepare for the coming day.

"Haruna! Hey, Haruna! A group of girls called as they ran towards the duo.

The group smiled as they crowded around the midnight-haired girl in an attempt to initiate conversation. Haruna politely greeted them as they consumed her. Over the loud greetings, she turned back towards Lydia, who shook her head at the event.

"I'll meet you outside after school," she promised. "We can walk home together."

"Okay, see you later!"

Stepping away from the crowds, Lydia made her way into the school. She placed her belongings in her locker before venturing through the hallway. Students began cramming inside, making the traffic much more congested, but all too familiar. Squeezing past each passerby almost seemed identical to walking the streets of Domino.

Finally entering the classroom of 3-B, she was greeted with the familiar faces of the few students present in the room. The students hung out near their assigned seats awaiting the start of class. There was a low murmur of discussion between a few strays. Soon enough, the first warning bell prompting the remaining students to enter and take their seats. Despite awaiting further instruction, conversation ensued like it had all morning.

Just after the final bell rang, the homeroom teacher made his way into the classroom. After going through a formal greeting, he took his place at the front of the classroom.

"Alright, before we begin, I'd like to take attendance," he announced.

The teacher began to slowly read off every student's name from his list, to which every name was given a 'present' response. As he read through the list, the group of teens seemed restless anticipating another day of boredom.

"Nosaka Miho,"

"Here,"

"Akagi Lydia,"

"Present," the dark-haired girl responded.

The list went on for what seemed like the entire period. Each name read off appeared to take another minute off the clock. The amount of time to get through everyone almost made it seem that time was not moving at all, but rather a void moment of boredom.

"Kaiba Seto,"

A few students perked at the sound of the name while others treated it just the same as others. No response was given.

"Kaiba Seto,"

"Present," a low voice replied.

Lydia's eyes widened. She twisted around to scan the back of the classroom, and there he sat. His chestnut hair swept in front of his cold, sapphire eyes that were focused on the paperwork upon his desk.

She spun back around to avoid detection. Something about that one second of realization became very jarring. _Has he always been in this class?,_ she wondered. The very thought that she would've missed the idea that someone as infamous as him was in her class was unreal. Scanning her memories for answers, she began deciphering whether or not she'd known his face merely from publicity or personal viewing. She concluded that perhaps she hadn't previously noticed because the fact wasn't relevant until now. Although, from what she could recall, he did seem absent from class pretty frequently. That thought, paired with the possibilities from his reputation alone, made the whole situation less alarming. With this in mind, she realized it wasn't best to over think the idea.

 **O.O.O**

 _Come on, just say something. Introduce yourself! It can't be that bad._ The final bell for the day had just rung, signaling the expected afternoon rush within the hallways. The dark-haired girl gathered her things and looked to the other side of the classroom. Kaiba clicked his steel briefcase shut preparing to join the other students in their departure. _It's not even that big of a deal,_ she convinced herself. Lydia let out the breath she had been holding and made her way over to him.

"Um, hi," she began.

The brunet didn't bother to look up to meet her gaze.

"I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Lydia Akagi."

This time, his eyes looked up to glance at her with his stare narrowing. "I don't waste my time with fangirls." He stated.

"I'm not a— Anyway, my grandfather is the owner of Akasei Design."

Kaiba gave no inclination of a response. _Did he hear me?_

"You know, the—"

"I'm aware of who they are."

"Right," she drawled. _How does my grandfather withstand doing business with him?_ "So, I just—"

"Are you done wasting my time with your pleasantries?"

Lydia frowned. "Do you mind? I'm just trying to be nice and introduce myself."

Kaiba looked to her with the corners on his mouth falling deeper. "I don't see how that's my concern. Next time, do yourself a favor and stay out of my way."

The brunet picked up his briefcase and turned towards the door. Lydia opened her mouth to retort, but shut it promptly. _Don't say anything you'll regret or get your family in trouble._ She watched the brunet fade from view and took a slow breath. Calming herself, she made her way out of the classroom and headed downstairs to the main entrance.

 _'Not his concern'? Tch, the nerve!_ She huffed as she reached the courtyard outside. The sun illuminated the area, warming up whatever it touched. Groups of students made their way out of the gates to enjoy the day's warm temperature.

"Lydia!" She looked up to see Haruna jogging towards her. "Hey, are you ready to leave?"

"Yeah, let's go." She smiled.

Haruna nodded as the two began their walk. "Are you okay? You seem a little tense."

Lydia then began to notice the tightness stored in her muscles. She unclenched her fist and took another slow breath. _Just let it go._ "Huh? Yeah, I didn't even notice."

"Well, okay. Hey, do you wanna stop by the mall on our way home? I hear there's a sale going on."

Out of the corner of the duo's gaze, a black limo was patiently parked by the entrance to the school. By the time Lydia noticed its existence, the back door had already shut, leaving the chauffer to hurriedly get back in the driver's seat. Within seconds, the limo drove off in its descent downtown.

"Sure, Haru. I could go for some shopping."

"Then, come on!" With that said, both girls ran to the outer edge of the shopping district.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello, hello! Welcome back for Ch. 4! Once again, I realize it's been *cough* _a while_ since the last update, but my determination is improving! Slowly, but optimistically… Anyway, enjoy the semi-long chapter!**

* * *

The following days came and went throughout the new semester. Students were forced back to following a familiar routine of letting each class flow into the next, until the actions were eventually repeated the following morning. Going through the motions once again, students became particularly bored due to an unchanging system of routines and classes.

Being the period just before lunch hour, students grew particularly anxious. Any instruction became void as the clock ticked closer to the end of the hour. The room became a sound system of meticulous tapping and fidgeting as the lesson was drowned out. Any student still intent on making sense of the lesson tried their best to ignore the less motivated teens. Putting up with the array of disruptions, the teacher still pursued the subject of interest. As the action seemed harder and harder to follow through with, he eventually set down his chalk and turned towards the group of lax teenagers.

"Despite the new semester just starting," he began, "you all apparently seem uninterested. So, I'll give you something to think about for the end of class—the term project."

Finally sparking an attention span, a unanimous groan filled the room, causing any other noise to cease.

"Quiet, it's time you all started gaining some motivation." He said as he eyed the noticeably uninterested students. "The project isn't due until winter break, but I highly suggest you start early. This isn't something you can complete last-minute overnight."

Some students scoffed at the last remark, as if making plans to do the very thing advised against.

"For this project, I think it best that we do something different and make it a partner project."

Students began eyeing around the room trying to determine a suitable partner.

"Before you all start making plans, _I_ will be the one choosing partners for everyone. Any requests to work in larger groups or alone will be denied." The teacher went over to his desk to assemble the necessary materials and attendance sheet. "I'll start calling pairings one by one. Once I do, someone from your group needs to come up to get your topic and instructions. Your topic will reflect work on the next unit of debate and ethics, so it'll reflect issues going around in today's society."

While the teacher began listing off pairings, materials were gathered individually as the students tried to make sense of the assignment. Glances and conversations were exchanged between students and their assigned partners.

"Todoh and Okumura…" the instructor continued to read down the list. "Mazaki and Muto… Kaiba and Akagi…"

A slight twitch ran through Lydia's nerves. It sparked like a signal of warning, but also one of confusion. The second reaction was wondering if the names were heard correctly. However, the amount of times that the names rang in her ears proved that they were true. All that was left for her was to simply keep wondering _how._ It was a pure coincidence, but one so unlikely that it was baffling.

After naming off every pair, the bell rang throughout the halls, prompting students to hurriedly dismiss themselves. Lydia hastily gathered her things and darted for her locker. The more steps she took, the more thoughts seem to run through her head. _How? What are the odds of this?_ As she mulled through her confusion, she opened her locker and merely stared at the contents. She didn't have an issue with working with the young CEO, but worried whether or not they'd actually get anything done. _He doesn't seem like a 'team player' kind of person…_ she thought, _Maybe I should ask for another partner._

As she sifted through her things, she couldn't help but chuckle at the mere coincidence of the situation. The more she thought of the situation though, the less improbable that it seemed. She mentally laughed at herself for initially fussing over it. Certainly it wouldn't be that bad, right? Although, the pair's lack of familiarity with one another combined with the CEO's supposed difficult personality began to cause doubt.

"Lydia?"

To the side of her stood her addresser; a shorter student with tri-colored hair. To his left was a cute brunette while a tall boy with shaggy blonde hair was on his right; the latter shrugged while the other two smiled towards her.

"You're Lydia, right?" the boy repeated.

"Oh, yeah, sorry," she replied shaking herself. "You're in my Social Studies class. You're… Yugi?"

"Yup. This is Tea; she's in our class too. And that's Joey."

"Hi!"

"Hey there,"

"We're also in the same homeroom too."

The group nodded amongst each other. A brief pause soon fell between them with no one knowing who to speak first. "Is there something I can do for you guys?" Lydia finally asked.

"Well, kind of," Yugi ran a hand through his spiked hair. "It's just that we noticed you were paired with Kaiba for the Social Studies project and I guess you could say we want to offer our support."

"Support? What do you mean?"

"We just wanted to let you know that if you ever want to switch partners, we're available to help." Tea explained. "I know we don't really know each other, but Yugi has a better chance at tolerating Kaiba than anyone else."

"Yeah; an exception could probably be made if we just ask."

Lydia blinked, making no motion to give a response. _Are they serious?_ Based on the group's expressions, she concluded it wasn't a hoax. Logically, the idea seemed favorable since she lacked the familiarity with him that the trio seemed to have already acquired. She parted her lips to speak, but her thoughts soon consumed her. She _was_ interested in learning about the person that her family does business with. The situation may be her only chance to realize it, she thought.

Reaching a conclusion, her lips parted into a smile. "That's very sweet of you guys, but I can handle it."

Yugi and Tea exchanged glances with one another as if to confirm that what they heard was true. "Are you sure?" Tea questioned.

"Yep,"

"Are ya crazy?" Joey added. "You want to willingly work wit' Kaiba?"

"Yeah, I'm confident I can handle it."

"Any sane person couldn't. You know him or somethin'?"

"No, not really."

Joey blinked. A puzzled look draped his features as a silence fell over the group. His lips soon formed a smirk. "Well, I give ya credit for havin' guts."

"Right," Yugi agreed. "If you're certain then we won't push farther on it."

Lydia nodded. "You all must know Kaiba pretty well since you're so adamant about the situation," she began. "Are you friends?"

Joey scoffed. "With that rich bastard? Nah,"

Tea sharply nudged the blond in his ribs, giving him a condescending glare.

"Well," Yugi began sheepishly. "what Joey means is that it's a bit complicated. But deep down, he _is_ our friend."

"Is he as bad as he seems?"

"No; he's just a bit… rough around the edges. It just takes some getting used to."

"I see. So, is there—"

"Hey, did the bell ring yet?" Joey interrupted.

"Yeah, it rang just a few minutes ago," Tea confirmed as she glanced at her watch.

"What! That means lunch has already started! Shit, I gotta beat Tristan to the good food!" Joey's voice began to trail off as he darted down the hallway.

"J-Joey! Wait up!" Yugi called as he disappeared in the same direction.

Tea shook her head with a grin planted on her expression. "I guess I should catch up to them," she sighed.

"They'll probably need you to keep them in line," Lydia laughed.

"Right. Well, we'll see you in class." Tea stepped past her and went to catch up with the duo. She took another step and then stopped before turning back around. "Oh, if you ever change your mind about the project, let us know."

"Thanks, Tea,"

The brunette smiled before running off in search of her friends. Watching her fade from view, Lydia emptied the contents of her locker before going in the opposite direction. Although their conversation was brief, she found that she enjoyed talking with the trio. However, as she thought back to just moments ago, she realized that she'd soon have to face an inevitable interaction. _I guess I should try to find Kaiba,_ she concluded.

As she made her way toward the classroom, a sense of anxiousness settled within her. She couldn't exactly pinpoint from what exactly, but guessed that it may have just been the intimidation of the interaction. Coming close to the room, she realized a hesitation still resided. She tried to push past it, but was still restrained. No, she concluded, it wasn't an internal hesitation that bound her, but rather a physical force. The force pulled her backwards as she spun around to meet its catalyst. Lydia opened her mouth to object to the person, but shut it promptly when she found that a tall figure stood before her like a blank slate written on only with intimidation. _Speak of the devil,_ she mentally sighed.

"Oh, Kaiba," she greeted. "fancy seeing you here,"

"Since this project appears to be mandatory, I suppose I'll have to get used to your company. I trust you won't cause any major inconveniences during this duration."

Lydia bit her tongue. "I don't intend to."

"Hn, come to my building at seven tonight; we'll discuss topics then. I'd like to complete this nuisance as quickly as possible."

The brunet went to turn away before Lydia's voice stopped him. "Why does this all depend upon your schedule?" she said as she folded her arms in front of her chest.

"Excuse me?" His glare sharpened as he turned to her.

"Why is this all about you? Why can't we mutually agree on when to meet up?"

"You clearly don't know who you're talking to,"

"I do, though,"

Kaiba's glare narrowed as she spoke. Despite this, the rest of his features didn't show any sign of expression.

"We meet at seven tonight at my office. I have zero tolerance for tardiness."

Before she could retort, the brunet turned swiftly and walked away. Lydia sighed and wandered off in the opposite direction.

 **O.O.O**

The ebony-haired boy gave a sigh to himself. The space around him held no one but the air surrounding him. Dimness began filling the room as any remaining sunlight slowly faded. He set down his handheld game system and eyed the room slowly. His brother's meeting supposedly ended over a half hour ago, so why hadn't he returned? The boy gave an annoyed sigh. With the amount of time he spends annually waiting for his brother to finish working, he began to think that it may be a better idea to just be taken home already.

Still, the times he spent with his sibling grew narrower, so he decided to wait it out. He sunk back lower into the couch as he tried to remain optimistic. A few moments later, a sound was heard at the door. The boy perked up at the sound. After a period of silence, another knock was given. He wondered who would be knocking, when most of the company's employees were aware that an important meeting was occurring. Although, he did recall his brother briefly mentioning a guest that planned to stop by; although vague, that had to be the only explanation.

"Come in," he instructed.

The door slowly opened and the visitor stepped forward. Standing at the opposite end of the room was a teenage girl of average height and a slim build, although she lacked the tan complexion of most people in the town. She had dark brown hair that was hung in a high ponytail, letting her waves hang freely. She let out an annoyed sigh and shook her head to loosen her bangs from her face, causing her grey eyes to meet with the boy's. Her expression changed to smile at him.

"Sorry, this is Kaiba's office, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, but my brother's not here right now, as you can see." He smiled. "I'm Mokuba,"

"Lydia," she replied as she extended a hand to shake his. _Brother?_ , she exclaimed. _That's hard to believe; this kid seems so friendly._ "Nice to meet you,"

Mokuba eyed the girl closely and noticed the high school uniform she was sporting. "Do you go to school with Seto?"

"Oh, yeah. We were assigned to work on a class project together, actually."

"I see," he nodded slowly. "So, how do you—"

"Mokuba,"

The pair turned to see the young CEO standing in the doorway. His stern glare shifted between the two.

"Hey, Bro!"

"The driver's downstairs waiting to take you home, Mokuba. Don't wait up for me."

Mokuba's smile faded slightly, but nodded anyway. "Alright," he began to make his way past his brother. "It was nice meeting you, Lydia!"

She waved goodbye to him before he was soon out of sight. The brunet closed the door and made his way over to his desk.

"He's a cute kid," Lydia smiled.

Kaiba gave a curt nod as he seated himself at his desk. "It's good to see that you're capable of being punctual. At least someone here is."

"And you being fashionably late, I see." She smiled.

"Hmph, not of my own accord. As I said, most people here aren't exactly the definition of 'timely'."

She raised an eyebrow to him followed by a short sigh. "Well, I suppose I can understand that." She took a seat across from his desk.

"Hn, whatever; let's just get this over with."

Lydia reached into her bag and pulled out a short stack of papers. "I didn't look at the topic yet because I figured we could just discuss it," she sifted through the papers to find the sheet marked with their assigned topic. "' _Based on its ability to manipulate society, is virtual reality considered dangerous?'_ " she read aloud.

" _What_?" Kaiba hissed.

"What?"

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."

"I don't know, it doesn't seem _that_ improbable." Lydia shrugged.

"Of course you'd say that," Kaiba glared.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hn, perhaps you're not as intelligent as I initially suspected."

Lydia carefully began to study the brunet's demeanor. He sat with his fingers steepled upon his desk and his glare hard. She began to raise an eyebrow to him. "You do know that the topics were randomized by group, right? They're not trying to intentionally slander your company's work."

"Hmph, clearly," He replied in a sarcastic tone.

"They're not,"

"Whatever,"

"A _nyway_ , the instructions say we need to write a research paper that's at least five pages in length. We need to touch on both sides of the argument and then reach a logical conclusion. We also need to summarize the paper into a presentation for the class."

"That seems like a pretty mediocre quality project to me."

"Well, those are the requirements."

"I don't settle for mediocrity."

Lydia sighed. "Kaiba, I know you're less than enthused with working with someone else on a project, but I'm trying to make this easy on you." The brunet's cold stare didn't change. "I have to get home; I don't want to keep bantering."

Lydia got up from her chair and turned to the door as she swung her bag over her shoulder. The brunet sat back in his seat and ran a hand through his hair. "Fine, I suppose the quality is doable if done right," he sighed. "But I expect accurate research."

Lydia turned around to meet eyes with the CEO.

"We can discuss our outline another time this week. Before then, we should start gathering research. Is that sufficient enough?"

Lydia grinned. "It's a deal,"

* * *

 **Wow, I'm glad it's finally done! Hopefully the awkward moments in the chapter were still doable and Kaiba doesn't seem that bad. Although he doesn't seem OOC per say, something about him felt a little off, but maybe it's just the context of the narrative, who knows? Thanks for reading!**


	5. Chapter 5

"I think these plans should suffice," the board member announced.

"'Suffice'?" another retorted. "Don't you know who our client is? Sufficing won't cut it! We'll be fired for sure!"

"There's not much else we can do; if these plans aren't approved, then we won't meet the construction deadline anyway." Another voice came through.

The board members continued to bicker, adding more voices as time went on until they eventually came to a chaotic chorus of arguments. From the other end of the room, only observation occurred. Perhaps it was the added stress of the project that drove the room to the negative energy, the silent end contemplated. Ignoring both ends of divide, the two teenagers in the room merely made faces at one another from across the table.

Kosei looked unsurely between his father and family members. They made no opposing reaction to him and continued to witness the altercation take place. His gaze fell to his father, the elder CEO, who didn't facially expose a reaction to the spectacle.

"Father…" Kosei began.

Realizing what his son's words would eventually mean, Akihiko gave a deep sigh and stood from his seat at the head of the table. "Alright, that's enough," his voice rang through the chorus.

Upon hearing the CEO, the board members awakened to an array of silent apologies. Everyone took their seats once more to await further instruction. The two teenagers gave nervous glances to one another to await their grandfather's words.

"Now," Akihiko continued. "I don't mean to sound condescending, but is this how I should expect you all to behave yourselves in front of the Kaiba Corporation?" A murmur of disagreement responded. "Whatever occurs today is what will be. If our plans are rejected, then we may lose the contract, but I don't want any doubt shown in the meeting. The board meeting is in two hours, so please take the time to ready yourselves for your best work."

Once the elder man finished his speech, he quietly dismissed himself from the room. The remaining board members began to gather up their supplies and converse with one another. Lydia glanced to Naoto who was watching the employees exit the room. "Do you think we'll have any chance to attend this meeting?" she asked him.

Her cousin shrugged. "Who's to say?"

"Maybe Granddad could pull some strings."

"I doubt he could for you, but my chances are far more likely."

"Why do you say that?"

Naoto smirked. "Because I'm an _intern_ while you're not. You just follow your father around."

Lydia scoffed and stood from the table. "Well, I'm going to ask him. I need to go to Kaiba Corp anyway."

Naoto laughed as he trailed after her. "You 'need' to? What business could you possibly have there?"

The duo turned a corner to make it to the elevators. Lydia smiled to herself. "Well, what would you say if I knew Seto Kaiba?"

Naoto filled the elevator with booming laughter. "Right, Cuz, and I'm best friends with the Prime Minister, _sure_."

Lydia rolled her eyes. She should've known her comment wouldn't have been taken seriously. She remained silent throughout the rest of their walk with the only other noise being occasional bursts of laughter from the young male beside her. Eventually, the duo reached their grandfather's office and waited for permission to enter. Upon entering, they found both of their fathers surrounding their grandfather's desk. The trio turned to greet the two teenagers.

"Yes? What can we do for you two?" Akihiko greeted.

Naoto stepped forward. "I—"

"—We," Lydia corrected.

The young male huffed. "Fine, _we_ were wondering if we'd be allowed in the meeting later on today. If we're allowed at board meetings, then it's only fair we can sit in on contract meetings."

Akihiko nodded. Stillness fell over the room as the recipients awaited some sort of response. "Well," the elder began. "I suppose that is only fair. Very well,"

 **O.O.O**

The lead designer pointed to the blueprints neatly spread across the board. "Based on the space given to us through the Kaiba Land Expansion, the hotel would be in position to oversee the park in its entirety,"

"I'm well aware," the cold CEO interjected.

"Y-Yes, well based on that fact, we thought it best that the hotel have a curved structure," the designer motioned to the curved "C" shaped building in the blueprints. "Based on the angle, that means any guests can easily view the amenities of the park from any room assigned."

"And what about the outer side?"

"From the construction location, the outer side will be able to view the horizon of Domino City even though its miles off. Either way, each side is an idealistic landscape view of Kaiba Corp's success both within and outside of the city."

A number of shareholders nodded and murmured in agreement. "What are your thoughts on materials?" one asked.

"We can use any requested materials that are within budget. However, for the window layering that wraps around the building, we hope to use reflective glass to follow through with the 'dragon scale' aesthetic."

Another murmur fell over the table. The majority of shareholders expressed promise for the project, causing a hopeful energy to fall over the receiving party.

Kaiba leaned back in his chair and gave a confident smirk. "Hn, I'm pleased that you all express some deal of acceptable standards for this project." Everyone in the room held their breath to decipher what the brunet's words concluded. "Construction will begin early next week in order to uphold your deadline. I want a copy of the blueprints on my desk by the end of today."

As the young CEO stood to leave the room, a unanimous sigh of relief filled the space. The remaining board members congratulated one another on their successful pitch ultimately sustaining their contract. Kaiba spoke few words with his attendees before removing himself from the scene. The mass of employees grew into a joyous scene of exchanged gratitude and discussion of transaction deals. Materials were soon collected and swapped between workers as they all prepared for the next business endeavor of the day.

Lydia stood on the outskirts of the commotion, but kept a watchful eye upon her family members. She smiled as they faces lit up through the course of their conversations. Despite the meeting being only a cautionary step toward a massive end goal, she felt a sense of pride toward her heritage; of all the work they had to build through in order to gain recognition from a capital business. Even seeing Naoto weave his way through exuberant discussion was enjoyable. However, she swayed from her thoughts upon realizing her stead being in the room was fruitless. She wasn't suited for the business context with the higher-ups present. Upon informing her father of her leave, she made her way out of the room.

She breathed a sigh as the stillness in the plain hallway greeted her. She turned to make her way to the elevators until she was spun back in the other direction. Upon catching her balance, she looked to the being towering over her.

"Oh, Kaiba, I thought you left already," she said.

"I trust you're available to work on our project now." The brunet said flatly.

 _Project work,_ the thought dawned upon her. _I almost forgot._ "Yeah, you're lucky I came prepared," she peeked into her bag to assess that the materials she packed that morning were still there. "Also, thank you for asking this time." She laughed.

"Hmph, whatever, just follow me."

Lydia obeyed and trailed behind the brunet as they made their way to his office. The duo entered the elevator as Kaiba punched the button for the top floor. Lydia eyed the small space and the young CEO's demeanor. His face stared forward at the doorway without readable expression or twitch. The aura emulating from his composure was heavy and immense.

"So," She began. "how's your day been?"

"Can we skip the pleasantries?" Kaiba replied dryly.

"I was only curious."

Kaiba let out a long sigh. The air expelled only seemed to make the atmosphere heavier. "It's been fine," he finally answered.

Lydia smiled. "See, that wasn't hard, was it?"

The brunet grunted as the elevator opened. The duo soon reached the doorway to the office. As the door opened, they were met with the burn of daylight coming from the large paneled windows. What little furniture there was still sat the same as it did in the days prior as she recalled.

"Hey, Bro!" an ebony-haired boy greeted his older sibling.

"Hello, Mokuba,"

Kaiba strode past the young boy as he approached his desk. Mokuba smiled to him before turning back to where he originally sat. "Hey, Lydia!" he greeted.

"Hi!" she smiled.

"Go on and do your homework downstairs, Mokuba. We have work to do." Kaiba said.

"Aw, why can't I stay and do it here?" Mokuba pouted. His eyes reflected a sad gleam that upon viewing, was almost impossible to resist.

Kaiba released a long sigh. "Fine, just keep it down."

"Okay, Nii-sama!" Mokuba cheered. His pity tactics seemed to work every time; he knew his brother had difficulty resisting him.

Lydia chuckled as she watched the boy retreat back to the couch in the corner of the room. She soon pulled up a chair across from the CEO's desk. "So, we said we were going to talk about our outline, right?"

"Yes. Considering the requirements, it's best we focus on the factual information rather than opinions."

Lydia nodded. "I agree. How should we gather information?"

"That won't be a problem. Kaiba Corp can supply more than sufficient facts to prove the safety of virtual reality."

"We also need to discuss negative effects in the paper, though."

"Tch, you expect there to be any?"

"Well, yeah, we talked about that the other day."

"Hmph, as if any of that slander is actually true,"

"Kaiba, didn't we just agree this project isn't largely opinion based?"

The brunet rolled his eyes. "Whatever,"

"Well, we could probably find most of that information online or the library."

He nodded. As the duo continued to discuss their project, things slowly began to fall into fruition. Communication between them seemed to vastly improve from their rough start a few days prior. Eventually, they fully planned out their project.

"I have further business to attend to tonight, so I think it best we end here." Kaiba stated.

"Sure, that's fine with me," Lydia agreed as she stood up to stretch.

"I'll contact you when to meet again."

Lydia raised an eyebrow to him and then held out her phone to him. "Here, just give me your number."

"That isn't necessary."

"It's the easiest way to contact me. Plus this way you can stop sneaking up on me to get my attention." Lydia's words dissolved into a laugh.

Kaiba eyed her skeptically with his eyes narrowed. After a moment, he finally took the phone and punched in a few numbers before handing the phone back to her.

"Thanks," Lydia smiled. "I'll text you later so you'll have mine."

"Fine,"

"I'll see you later then." Lydia soon bid her goodbyes to the Kaiba brothers and left the office.

* * *

 **And it's done! Really glad this one is done; parts of it were just weird to me and I wasn't sure what to do, but the result is here and imo it's not bad. However, if there are weird moments or pacing mishaps, then I apologize. But, thanks for tuning in and I'll see ya next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

The resonant ringing of a bell ran through the hallways. Upon its completion, hoards of students began crowding the building for immediate departure. Despite complaints from the administration, students continued to shove their way through the halls. Eventually, the teachers had no choice but to give up on the matter once echoes of conversation blurred out the complaints like any other day.

A resounding laughter soon differentiated from the crowd. After pulling herself together, Haruna looked back to her friend. "Wait, so you were paired with _him_?" her voice shook through the remainder of her laughter.

"I know, isn't it ironic?" Lydia smiled as she grabbed another book from her locker.

"You must have bad luck,"

"I wouldn't say that. It's just weird thinking about the coincidences of it." Lydia shrugged.

"At least you seem to be making good progress. I've heard other people in that class haven't even looked at what their topic is yet."

"Well, Kaiba's clearly not someone to let time go to waste, which isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Haruna slowly nodded. "Oh yeah, speaking of deadlines, I heard your family announced the hotel project with Kaiba Corp."

"Yeah, everything's supposed to be done around January."

Haruna nodded. "Have you thought about interning with your family?"

"Having a job during school is against the rules, remember? You almost got expelled for it." The two girls laughed as they reminisced about that time.

"I'm sure they can make an exception for family work though."

"Well, I don't know, I've thought about it, but I just…" Lydia's words soon trailed off. "We'll see. But hey, how'd that chemistry test go for you today?"

Haruna raised an eyebrow to her friend. After a moment, she shook herself from her doubt. "I think I failed, to be honest." She chuckled. "Molar conversions just aren't for me."

"I'm sure you didn't do _that_ bad."

"Well, your intuition is probably wrong." They both laughed as Lydia shut her locker. "Hey, I need to go to my student council meeting; it starts in ten minutes. I'll see you later."

"Sure, I'll—"

"Hey, Lydia!"

The two girls turned to see a small group of four walking towards them. Lydia first noticed the boy in the center with tri-colored hair and recognized him as Yugi and his friends. "You made some new friends?" Haruna smiled.

"I guess you could say that," Lydia replied.

"I'll leave you to it then. See you later,"

"Bye, Haru,"

The midnight-haired girl wandered off just as the group approached. "Hi, guys," Lydia smiled to them.

"Sorry, were we interrupting something?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, no, Haru was leaving to go to a meeting."

"I see. Well, we were just wondering if you were busy right now."

"I was about to head home, but other than that, not really."

"Do you want to walk home with us?" Tea asked. "We'd love to have you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah!" Yugi smiled. "I know we've only talked once, but we all agreed that we wanted to get to know you better."

"Okay, I'd love to." She returned a smile to the group.

"Oh, right, you didn't meet him before, but this is Tristan." Yugi said as he pointed to a tall boy with spiked brown hair.

"Hey there," he waved.

"Nice to meet you."

The group of five soon made their way out of the school. Faced with the cool autumn air, they made their way through the school grounds. "So, how's your project with Kaiba going?" Tea asked.

"It's good. I don't think he's as abrasive as you guys initially said though; he's just kind of difficult sometimes."

"Really?" Joey inquired. "I didn't think Rich Boy was capable of bein' nice."

"I wouldn't use the word 'nice'," Lydia grinned. "But, I wouldn't say he's mean—well, he can be kind of rude though."

Yugi laughed. "Yeah, that's Kaiba all right. What's your topic on?"

"Oh, it's the dangers of virtual reality. What about you and Tea?"

"It's about converting the city to a new energy source." Tea explained.

"Ah, I guess our teacher wasn't lying when he said the topic range was pretty wide."

"Yeah,"

A silence soon fell over the group as they walked. Perhaps it was the unfamiliarity between them, but neither side was sure of what to discuss next. Eventually, Tristan said goodbye to the group once they reached his home. The remaining four continued on with their walk. Silence still resumed as the group studied one another.

"Hey, I gotta question." Joey said, breaking the silence between them.

"What is it?" Lydia turned to him.

"Are ya really Japanese? You don't look it much."

"Joey!" Tea gasped as she elbowed the blond harshly in the ribs.

"Agh! What? I was just thinkin'!" Joey yelled as he threw a harsh look to the brunette.

"You really are hopeless, Joey," Tea sighed. "Sorry about him, Lydia."

"Oh, no, it's alright. I don't mind him asking."

"See?" Joey flashed a cheeky grin towards Tea. She retaliated with a stern glare and a threat to hit him again.

"But yeah, to answer your question, you're partially right; I'm half Japanese."

"Half?" Yugi inquired. "Really?"

"Yeah, my dad is from here while my mom is from the UK."

"Do you get asked about it a lot?" Tea questioned.

"No, most people just assume," Lydia admitted. She couldn't help but reflect back on the times that those events took place.

"Well, that's awesome, Lydia," Yugi smiled. "You know, our friend Bakura is from the UK too. I think he's only a quarter related to there but he certainly has the accent to prove it."

"Bakura? You mean the boy with the big fanclub of girls?" she chuckled.

The trio nodded. "The accent certainly helps."

"True. Sadly, I never picked up my mother's accent though." She smiled.

"Ah, that don't matter," Joey began. "If anything—uh, hey, whose phone is that?" The blond wondered as a muffled ringing broke their conversation. The group all checked their bags and pockets for the source of the ringing.

"Oh, sorry, that's mine," Lydia said as she grabbed her phone. She glanced at the contact ID flashing on the screen and immediately took the call. "Hello?"

"I trust you're available to work now," Kaiba's voice came through the receiver. "I gathered some materials for our project. Be here in fifteen minutes."

"Wait, I don't have—hello?" She pulled her phone away to look at it upon not hearing any feedback. She soon released an irritated sigh. _He actually hung up!_ The trio all stared at her with curious expressions upon their faces. "Sorry, I have to go; Kaiba wants to work on our project."

"That's alright, we understand." Tea smiled.

"Yeah, we can always hang out some other time." Yugi said.

"Sure, I'd love to." Lydia quickly shook herself realizing her time limit. "Sorry, I really have to go! See you later!"

"Bye!"

"See ya!"

Upon leaving the group, Lydia soon became grateful that they had been walking near the downtown of the city. She pushed her way past the pedestrians on their way home for the day. As she ran, she couldn't help but to keep glancing at her phone for the time. _Six more minutes,_ she told herself. She was unsure of any consequences of being later than expected, but wasn't eager to find out either. With the infamous KC skyscraper in her view, she pushed through her fatigue knowing her destination wasn't far. Eventually, she burst through the doorway to the skyscraper and headed up to the young CEO's office. The brunette ran through the halls until she had finally reached the office and entered.

"Hmph, you made it sooner than I expected," Kaiba stated.

"Well," Lydia gasped. She hunched over as she tried to catch what little breath she still had. "You didn't exactly leave a reasonable time limit." Her words were broken apart as she continued to gasp for breath.

"It was clearly reasonable enough. After all, you're here now." Kaiba took his eyes away from his computer screen to glance at her.

"You're just lucky I wasn't far from here," She said as she regained her composure. She walked towards him until she stopped to glance at the towering pile of papers at the corner of his desk. "What is all this?"

"Research. They're standard safety procedures put into Kaiba Corp's solid vision technology. I trust this will be sufficient enough for our project."

"Uh, _more_ than enough," Lydia said as she picked up a file and glanced through the text. "Kaiba, this is going to take a long time to go through all of this."

"There's no need. I'm already familiar with it."

" _All_ of it?"

"It's customary that I'm familiar with the procedures that _I_ wrote."

"Then why did you gather all of this if you already knew it?"

"The guidelines state that physical research is needed."

Lydia raised an eyebrow to him. He didn't strike her as one to follow the rules laid out for him. "Well, I guess I should study up if I want to catch up with your level." She said as she grabbed a small handful of files.

"These documents don't leave this room."

"What?"

"The files aren't meant for public eyes outside of the company." The brunet replied calmly. His eyes displayed a stern glare however.

Lydia opened her mouth to retort, but then shut it promptly. _It is only natural that companies don't show things openly_ , she reminded herself. "I guess that's only fair. But still, this is going to take a long time for us to look through."

"Us? Did you not hear the part where I said that I already know all of this?"

"No, I did. But, there must be something in here that you missed."

"Excuse me?" The brunet's eyes narrowed.

"I doubt you'd have been able to memorize _everything_ in all of this." Lydia replied as she eyed the stack once again; it had to be at least a foot high.

Kaiba stared at her briefly. "Is that a challenge?"

"Sure," Lydia smirked.

"Hn, you clearly don't know what you've just done." Kaiba replied with an arrogant smirk.

"We'll see," She proceeded to glance through the small portion of papers in her hands. "How many meters can a hologram travel from its source?"

"Ten; the hologram disbands if it leaves the duel field." He replied flatly.

Lydia nodded as she checked the paperwork. "Can a hologram attack a person?"

"Not unless a direct attack is declared and even then, it doesn't cause physical harm."

Lydia raised an eyebrow to him and put down the papers. "What about if the user isn't playing Duel Monsters?"

"Solid vision was created for the game and is only used as such."

"Don't other companies use holograms?"

"Kaiba Corp's technologies are patented."

"Well, okay," she replied with a slow nod. She picked up the files once more to look at them. "How many programs are involved if a hologram goes awry?"

"Six; each has an extensive amount of coding."

" _Okay,_ there has to be something in here that you don't know." Lydia sighed.

"Hn, your questions were rather lackluster. I'd hardly have called it a 'challenge'."

"Yeah, whatever, let's just start looking through all of this." Lydia sat down with a handful of files. "Also, we need to start researching negative data for the project."

"And where do you expect to find that information?"

"There should be a lot of it online. I can start researching later." She didn't look up from the files as she spoke.

"Hmph, fine," Kaiba sat back in his chair for a moment and studied her. He admitted he was surprised at her calm demeanor, but thought that it didn't warrant her any praise. But, he supposed she was tolerable. His thoughts were soon interrupted when a stack of papers was tossed in front of him upon his desk. "What?"

"You should start looking these over too, you know," Lydia replied. "You should keep your memory sharp or else I may know more than you do." She threw him a cheeky grin at the end of her sentence.

Kaiba's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. He sat there unmoved as he watched her look over the data. Eventually, he let out a low sigh and picked up a file to begin reading it.

* * *

 **And there we go! Ch. 6 is finally done! Luckily Seto is becoming a bit more casual as things progress lol. Also, I'm excited that Yugi and friends are getting their chance to shine now.** **Anyway, lemme know what you all think and thanks for the continued reads and support!**


	7. Chapter 7

Silence hung through the air as the duo worked. However, internally, hundreds of letters and words swelled within any remaining empty space awaiting analysis. With the copious amount of hours going through the intense research, the task still didn't seem any less trivial. As she read through the last paragraph of the report, Lydia paused to record the report number in order to reference it later. After setting down the report, she sat back in her chair and released a deep sigh. Her thoughts felt like they were swelling within her waiting to burst.

"I didn't think this would take so _long_ ," Lydia admitted.

"If I recall, _you_ were the one who suggested doing this in the first place." Kaiba responded. His gaze didn't falter from the report he was reading.

"I thought it was only fair. Besides, I knew it would take a long time, but I guess I never thought it to be so tedious."

"Hn, I did provide a warning about that."

"I know, but I think we're due for a break."

"I'd rather not,"

"Why?"

"It would only delay productivity. If you're that desperate, my secretary could just bring you something."

"We deserve a few minutes of an actual break though,"

Kaiba's gaze finally broke with the report he was reading as he glanced to the brunette. "If it will get you to stop pestering me, then you're welcome to do so."

"What about you?"

"I already gave my answer."

Lydia raised an eyebrow to the young CEO. She released a low sigh before bringing her gaze to him. "Why do we always have to do what's convenient for you?"

"Excuse me?"

"I'm curious. Why don't you ever let us compromise something?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I think you do; you're just too stubborn to admit anything."

The brunet brought his gaze up to meet hers. The blue within his irises seemed to freeze over to magnify their intensity. "I prefer not to compromise ideas that aren't effective."

"How do you know they're not when you never try them?"

"I don't need experience to tell me something's a bad idea."

Lydia frowned. She couldn't pinpoint whether his words were an intentional jab towards her or not. Either way, it didn't leave her with a good feeling. "Well, I'm going to take a break, so you can do what you want."

"Hn, whatever,"

The brunette stood and left the office. As she shut the door behind her, she released a long sigh. _Ugh, that jerk!_ , she thought. _I could've smacked him for that._ She stepped away from the door and decided to walk around the halls briefly. The floor had noticeably less rooms than any of the other levels, although perhaps that was due to the CEO's office being the focal point of the floor. As she approached the end of the short hallway, she noticed an open doorway at the end of the path. Being one of the few doorways in the hall other than the elevator, and the only open one for that matter, she curiously inched towards the room.

Lydia peered inside the room to find a sitting area and a small kitchen in the corner. Her best guess that it appeared to be a break room. She stepped into the room to observe its aspects until her gaze settled on a table in the corner of the room. "Mokuba?"

The ebony-haired boy looked up. "Oh, hi, Lydia, what are you doing here?"

"I could say the same to you." She smiled. "What are you working on?"

"Homework; I thought since you and Seto were working, I'd just come in here. The only other person that comes in here is Seto's secretary, and that's not even that often."

"I see." She nodded as she looked around the room. Upon seeing the refrigerator, she opened it and plucked a water bottle from its contents.

"So, are you and Seto done working today?"

"No, we're just taking a break of sorts."

"He's not being difficult, is he?"

"Oh, no, well… He's getting a bit frustrating." She chuckled.

Mokuba frowned. "I'm sorry, Lydia. My brother just gets too stubborn for his own good sometimes."

"Definitely,"

"But he's not that bad a person! Most people get too intimidated to see that. My brother's really not as evil as people say."

"I wouldn't go as far to say he's evil; he's just pretty… guarded, I guess."

"Exactly. Seto's not very good at communicating, but just give him a chance. You'll be able to work together if you're patient with him."

"I hope so."

"Just trust me, you will,"

"Okay. Thank you, Mokuba."

"You're welcome!" Lydia smiled as she went to leave the room. She stopped as she passed by the counter and noticed the coffee maker was just freshly brewed. She supposed a peace offering couldn't hurt.

She reentered the young CEO's office to find it exactly how she left it with the brunet positioned at his desk. However, rather than hunching over a pile of reports, he sat typing at his computer. She stepped up to his desk and held out a mug to him. "Here," she said.

The brunet looked up to her and skeptically shifted his gaze between her and the mug.

"It's coffee. I was down in the break room and I figured I'd get you something."

"Hmph, I'd prefer if you didn't raid my facilities, but thank you."

Her eyes widened at his remark. She didn't ever expect him to show gratitude towards her. "You're welcome. Also, I didn't raid it, Mokuba was there to supervise." She grinned.

"I see." Kaiba nodded as he took a sip from the mug.

"So, how many reports do we have left?"

"None, I just finished reading them."

" _All_ of them? How many were left?"

"Only a handful."

"Oh. I wish I knew that earlier, I wouldn't have left then. Sorry,"

"It's in the past. What matters now is knowing what we're going to do next."

Lydia thought for a moment. "I started pulling research for the negative data; we can look through that."

"How much do you have?"

Lydia reached down into her bag and pulled out a pile of papers. "This," she replied as she handed it to him.

"Hn, this appears to be enough to work with. I suppose I misjudged you."

Lydia eyed the brunet closely. "Hey, Kaiba, listen; I meant what I said earlier and I want to be friends through this, but in order to do that, we need to work as a team. This project isn't all about you."

"Hmph, I don't exactly do the whole 'teamwork' thing." Lydia frowned as he spoke. "But, I suppose you've proven yourself to be tolerable."

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" She smiled.

"Tch, take it what you will," The brunet rolled his eyes.

"Well, I appreciate it,"

"Let's just get back to the research. What did you find?"

"A lot of it was some news articles from a few years ago. Mainly stuff like this." She flipped through the pile before pulling a document out and handing it to him.

Kaiba's brows furrowed as he skimmed through the document. "We can't use this."

"Why not? Wasn't Battle City _your_ tournament?"

"Holograms didn't cause those injuries."

"Then what did? It was on TV, remember? There were clearly people getting injured and falling unconscious from those duels."

"Kaiba Corp Solid Vision isn't responsible for any of that occult nonsense."

"What do you mean by 'occult'? What happened back then?"

"It's nothing you would understand. All you need to know is that Kaiba Corp wasn't responsible."

"Then why can't we use that in our report? We have enough evidence to say that holograms aren't a danger to people to refute that."

The young CEO thought briefly. "We'll see. What else did you find?"

"It's mostly stuff I don't understand. It's a lot about dueling and monster attacks."

"It's not that hard to understand."

"Well, I'm not a duelist, so…"

"Hmph, I could almost pity you."

"What?"

"I've never heard of someone in Domino that doesn't duel."

"I just never got into it. My friend tried to teach me once, but I never caught on."

"Hn, how unfortunate,"

"Well, Haru did her best, but I guess I just wasn't interested." Lydia shrugged. "Anyway, we should be able to work with those articles, right?"

"They'll suffice for now. It may be useful to find more data though."

"Sure, I can do that over the weekend. Is there anything specific I should look for?"

"No,"

"Okay. Hey, what time is it?"

"Half past four."

"Do you mind if we end here for the day? I told Yugi and the others that I'd try to hang out with them before I go home."

"Yugi? You're friends with those losers?"

"In a way, yeah. Aren't you too though?"

"I wouldn't be caught dead hanging out with those nerds."

"Really? Yugi makes it seem like you guys are close."

"Hmph, Muto doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh, alright. So, do you mind if we end here?"

"That's fine. I have work to finish, anyway."

"Okay! Just let me know when you want to meet up."

"Fine,"

"Bye, Kaiba," Lydia smiled as she left.

Kaiba watched the door shut behind her before turning back to his computer screen. _Yugi…_ He scoffed at the thought of his long-known rival before resuming his work.

* * *

 **Wow, what a tough chapter! Seriously, by the time the first page was done, I already had at least four pages worth of outtakes. Hopefully things read smoothly despite that setback… and that the content was enjoyable since its pretty dialogue heavy lol. Also, hopefully you all enjoyed and I'll see you the next time! R &R!**


	8. Chapter 8

***internal screaming* Uhhh hi guys! I just realized how long it's been since my last upload, oof. I literally wrote this whole thing today, wow (I had the beginning of a draft going before but I kept changing it and eventually started over :P). Hopefully I'll become more inspired in the near future to write (cause wow the last few months have been DRY), but anyways enjoy! R &R!**

* * *

"What do you think of this one?" Lydia asked as she handed the young CEO another document.

Kaiba took the paper from her and glanced through the information. "It won't work,"

"I agree. The evidence isn't strong enough for a refuting point."

"Not to mention that the credibility is embarrassingly subpar."

Lydia raised an eyebrow to him. "Weren't you the one who found that article?"

The brunet scoffed. "As if I'd be dumb enough to overlook something so obviously inaccurate,"

"I don't know, I swear you did,"

Kaiba's gaze sharply rose to meet hers. "If I'm not mistaken, the printing ID on this states that it's from the public library, and if I recall, _you_ were the one who gathered research from there,"

"How do I know you didn't go there and just didn't tell me?" She smirked.

"Tch, hardly,"

"I'm only teasing. I guess I was wrong to assume."

"Clearly,"

Lydia shook her head in amusement. "Anyways, what about these?" she asked as she handed him the next set of documents.

He briefly looked over the data. "They'll suffice,"

"Alright, is that everything we have to sort through?"

"It appears so,"

"Great! I guess we can start typing everything together now." She reached into her bag beside her chair and pulled out a laptop. "You finished the outline, right?"

The young CEO nodded as he pulled up the documents on his own desktop. Pulling up the document from her laptop, Lydia saw as the CEO's typing rapidly began to appear on her screen. Her gaze travelled along with his formation of sentences into paragraphs as she tried to keep up with his rapid pace.

"Are you sure you want to start the paper like that?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" Kaiba replied without moving his gaze from his monitor.

"That just seems like a very direct way to open the introduction,"

"The point of a persuasive article is to be as direct as possible," He replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I know. I'm just going to rephrase it a bit."

"Hmph, whatever,"

The brunet continued to rapidly type away as Lydia followed his progress. She scanned through the birth of the paragraphs and edited through what she deemed worth it. Moments of silence passed between the duo as their work progressed.

"What does that mean?" Lydia asked once she stopped reading.

"What are you referring to as 'that'?"

"You mentioned something about Solid Vision and its configurations."

"I don't have the time to offer an explanation."

"Why not? I want to know,"

"If you're so desperate to, then you can read the data on it."

Lydia leaned back in her chair and released a deep sigh. "It would just be easier to complete the project if we _both_ understood everything about it."

"Hn, how unfortunate,"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "I'm serious. You're the inventor of the program, why would it be so hard to teach me?"

Kaiba released a low sigh and tore his gaze away from his monitor. He picked up a form from atop the desk and held it out to her. "This should handle the basics,"

"Thanks," she smiled as she received the form from him.

As she read through the file, the young CEO continued on with his typing. His fingers danced across the keyboard filling the air with the sound of methodical clicking. The silence in the room hung densely except for the dull clicking coming from the desktop. Lydia soon nodded as she finished reading the file; at least understanding _some_ basics of the programs complexities would seem to help. Her gaze traveled back to the online document as she watched the words proceed to multiply on the screen. The interworking of the CEO's words began to start to make more sense to her, however, something still felt dull. Perhaps it was the heavy silence that lingered between the two or the dull repetition of the process; she wasn't quite sure.

Lydia lightly cleared her throat. "So…"

"Aren't I allowed to work in peace?" Kaiba snapped.

"I just want to try and lighten the mood is all,"

Kaiba grunted as he returned to typing.

"What's it like owning a company?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

"It's just a question. We've been so busy with the project the past few weeks that we've never really gotten to know each other."

"Hn, I fail to see the problem here."

"I'm only curious. I never get to ask my family about it with their company."

"Aren't you supposed to be their heiress?" He replied dully.

"Well, sort of, but I h—wait, I don't think I told you that before."

"Please, I do my research on companies I do business with."

"Oh, I see. How much do you know then?"

"Enough,"

"Right… I mean, I am an heiress, but the title of 'Future President' goes to me or one of my cousins. It's a family decision." Kaiba remained silent. "Did you already know that?"

"That much was obvious to figure out without research,"

"Really? What gave it away?"

"Mainly how everything is family-oriented."

Lydia answered with a slow nod. "Is there anything else you want to know about me?"

"Not particularly,"

"Okay, my turn then… What do you like so much about Duel Monsters?"

"Your curiosity is limitless, isn't it?"

Lydia laughed. "I suppose so. I hope that doesn't get me into trouble, you know, like 'curiosity killed the cat'?"

The brunet smirked. "Hmm, how unfortunate of an event,"

"Yeah—wait, did you just smile?"

The corners of the brunet's lips shot down as soon as she spoke.

"You totally just did! I saw it!"

Kaiba brought his gaze away from hers and shifted back to his computer. "Hn, whatever,"

"You have a nice smile,"

"Tch, I appreciate the thought,"

"You're welcome?" She grinned as she raised an eyebrow to him. _Was that his way of saying thank you?, she thought._ "Anyways, I guess I should stop distracting you, we can get back to work now."

"Well, your attempt at multitasking hasn't proven to be a major distraction, so I'll credit you on being tolerable,"

"Thanks, I guess," she grinned.

The duo soon returned to their paper. They reverted back to silence under the determination of completing their project until they had nearly reached the end. Although just on the cusp of finishing, the duo began to feel accomplished with their progress.

"Should we stop here for today?" Lydia asked.

"Personally, I'd rather finish it now."

"Well, I have to head home soon and I'm sure you have work to do, so maybe we should take a break."

"Perhaps so,"

"Are you available within the next few days?"

"Yes,"

"Great! If it's okay with you, we can meet up then,"

"That sounds good. I'll contact you when to schedule something,"

"Okay,"

Lydia gathered her things into her bag and headed for the door to the office. When she opened it, she was met with the face of a shorter, ebony-haired boy.

"Oh, hi Lydia, I just came in to get Seto." Mokuba smiled. "Are you leaving?"

"Yeah, I have to leave, but I'll be back soon." Lydia replied as she passed through the doorway past him, before turning back around. "Oh, Kaiba?"

"What?"

"You should smile more often."

The brunet didn't reply as he merely watched her leave.

"It was nice seeing you, Mokuba!" She waved as she faded down the hallway.

The ebony-haired boy closed the door behind him and turned towards his sibling. "What was that about, Bro?"

"It's nothing, Mokuba,"

Mokuba gave his brother a skeptical look. "That didn't seem like nothing,"

"Nothing happened,"

"Well, you seem to be in a less bad mood than usual. You two must be getting along,"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you finally going to open up to other people now?"

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Yes, you do! You're always alone and never spend time with anybody, let alone me. Whatever happened to being friends with Yugi and everyone else?"

"I was never friends with those dweebs,"

"You just don't want to admit it, Seto. I'm tired of seeing you waste away in your office; it's time you started making friends."

"I don't need friends,"

"That's what you always say," Mokuba pouted. He sighed before looking back to his brother. "Do you like her?"

"What?" The brunet snapped.

"Do you _like-like_ her?"

"Tch, don't be ridiculous, I don't have time to waste on a silly thing like romance."

Mokuba shook his head. "Whatever you say, idiot,"


End file.
